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men's lifestyle blog, blog for guysTue, 31 Mar 2015 12:44:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Blu Tuesday: American Hustle, Frozen and Morehttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/18/blu-tuesday-american-hustle-frozen-and-more/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/18/blu-tuesday-american-hustle-frozen-and-more/#commentsTue, 18 Mar 2014 11:13:46 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=35208Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

“American Hustle”

WHAT: When con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are caught selling fake loans by an ambitious FBI agent (Bradley Cooper), they’re wrangled into working with him on an undercover sting targeting dirty politicians. But despite their deep mistrust in each another, the one thing that threatens to bring the whole thing crashing down is Irving’s wildly unpredictable wife (Jennifer Lawrence).

WHY: David O. Russell has always been a quality filmmaker, but he’s quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with thanks to movies like “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and this farcical con-artist caper. Loosely based on the ABSCAM scandal of the late ‘70s, “American Hustle” is immensely entertaining and features some of the best acting of the year. Forty pounds heavier and rocking the most elaborate comb-over you’ve ever seen, Christian Bale delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance as the straight man of the bunch. The other cast members aren’t quite as committed physically, but they’re just as good, including Amy Adams’ sexy and cunning partner in crime, Bradley Cooper’s short-tempered federal agent, and scene stealer Jennifer Lawrence, who’s an absolute riot as Bale’s unpredictable wife. The whole movie is also a lot funnier than you’d expect due to Russell and Eric Singer’s darkly comic script, and though some have argued that it’s too long, the characters are so richly developed and crackling with personality that I would have gladly spent another hour in their messed-up world.

EXTRAS: The Blu-ray release includes a making-of featurette and some deleted and extended scenes, but sadly, that’s the extent of the bonus material.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

“Frozen”

WHAT: When her sister Elsa’s icy powers inadvertently ensnare the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter, Anna (Kristen Bell) teams up with a rugged mountain man (Jonathan Groff) and a talking snowman (Josh Gad) to retrieve Elsa (Idina Menzel) from her self-imposed isolation and prove that she’s not the evil witch the townspeople believe her to be.

WHY: In a year of underwhelming animated films, it’s hardly fair to place Disney’s “Frozen” so high on a pedestal, even if it is one of the best things that the Mouse House has produced in almost 20 years. But while “Frozen” is undoubtedly a good movie, it’s not quite as great as the recent love-fest would suggest. It’s also not nearly as progressive, with the lead heroine falling in love with one male character mere minutes after meeting him, and relying on the help of another shortly after. Then there’s the issue of those silly troll rock thingies that threaten to derail the film in the third act, not to mention the fact that it features of the lamest and least threatening villains in memory. With that said, “Frozen” isn’t without its charms. It has a few catchy tunes (particularly the Oscar-winning “Let It Go”), some excellent laughs and a solid voice cast led by Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and the scene-stealing Josh Gad. It’s the kind of movie that has likely empowered young girls around the world, all while selling billions of dollars in merchandise. That’s what you call a win-win.

EXTRAS: There’s a short featurette about the 75-year journey to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” to the big screen, a music video parodying the lack of an actual making-of featurette, some deleted scenes and the short “Get a Horse!”

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”

WHAT: Based on the autobiography of the same name, which chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba) from his early years as a lawyer, to his marriage to Winnie Madikizela (Naomie Harris), to his 27-year prison sentence, to being elected the president of South Africa.

WHY: There have been a lot of films featuring Nelson Mandela over the past few years – including “Invictus,” “Endgame” and even a pair of movies centered on his wife Winnie – but “Long Walk to Freedom” is undoubtedly the most comprehensive biopic about the celebrated revolutionary turned politician. Though it’s not without its faults, the film boasts an excellent lead performance from Idris Elba – hardly the first person you’d think of to play Mandela, but an incredibly talented actor who thrives in the role. Elba may not resemble the man much at all, but director Justin Chadwick was smart not to cover his star in layers of makeup, because what he lacks in physical likeness, he makes up for in spirit and presence. Unfortunately, Elba is underserved by a script that grazes over a lot of material in order to squeeze everything in. And therein lies the problem with “Long Walk to Freedom”: there’s too much story for a single movie, even one that runs 141 minutes long. It works just fine as a CliffsNotes-styled summary of his life, but you’d need an HBO miniseries to give it the justice it deserves.

EXTRAS: In addition to an audio commentary by director Justin Chadwick, there’s a 22-minute retrospective on Nelson Mandela’s life, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a collection of interviews with famous personalities discussing Mandela.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“Saving Mr. Banks”

WHAT: After Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) purchases the rights to her Mary Poppins book series, author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) flies to Hollywood to ensure that the big screen adaptation lives up to her impossibly high expectations.

WHY: Considering the subject matter and the talent involved, “Saving Mr. Banks” should have been an awards season slam dunk, but instead, it’s a mildly disappointing piece of Oscar bait rescued by some fantastic performances from Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. Though the insider story about the making of “Mary Poppins” is interesting for a number of reasons, the decision to intercut it with flashbacks from Traver’s childhood results in a movie that not only drags, but is a little too melodramatic for its own good. The point of those flashbacks, of course, is to explain why Travers has become so emotionally guarded in her adult life, but the scenes with her father (played by Colin Farrell) are absolutely miserable to sit through, and it’s hard to believe that Disney actually thought it would be appropriate for young audiences. The present-day portion with Thompson and Hanks, on the other hand, is refreshingly entertaining. Hanks, in particular, is a perfect fit to play the charming and outspoken Disney, while supporting turns from Paul Giamatti and Jason Schwartzman round out the otherwise excellent cast.

EXTRAS: There’s a retrospective on Walt Disney Studios, a clip of the cast and crew singing “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” on the final day of filming, and two deleted scenes.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/18/blu-tuesday-american-hustle-frozen-and-more/feed/0“American Hustle” deleted scenehttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/10/american-hustle-deleted-scene/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/10/american-hustle-deleted-scene/#commentsMon, 10 Mar 2014 21:38:29 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=35023It may have left the Academy Awards empty-handed, but there’s no denying that “American Hustle” was one of the best films of the year. Loosely based on the infamous Abscam scandal, the movie is an immensely entertaining ’70s-styled farce that features excellent performances from its entire cast. In fact, it was the only movie of 2013 to be nominated in all four acting categories, and one could argue that Jennifer Lawrence should have won Best Supporting Actress over newcomer Lupita Nyong’o.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the film in theaters, or just can’t wait to watch it again, “American Hustle” will be available to own on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 18th. The Blu-ray/DVD will also include special features like a making-of featurette and deleted and extended scenes. Check out our exclusive look at one of those deleted scenes starring Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner below:

If you haven’t been to the movie theater over the past few months, you’d be forgiven for thinking that 2013 wasn’t a very good year for film. In fact, my own year-end list was looking pretty suspect before October, but as is usually the case, the awards season blitz was jam-packed with enough great movies to fill more than the customary ten spots. That made compiling this year’s best-of list a little more challenging than in years past, especially with so many popular choices relegated to honorable mentions or missing entirely. With that said, after much deliberating, flip-flopping and even revisiting certain films, the following represents what I believe to be the best of 2013.

It’s been six years since Alfonso Cuarón’s last feature film – the criminally underrated “Children of Men” – but his outer space survival thriller was well worth the wait. “Gravity” is the kind of movie that will likely change the way films are made in the future. From the stunning, single-take opening sequence that lasts more than 12 minutes, to the numerous set pieces throughout, “Gravity” is such a technical marvel that it looks like Cuarón shot the whole damn thing in space. Though the story is ridiculously simple, not a single second of its 91-minute runtime is wasted, extracting so much suspense from the film’s terrifying setup that the brief injections of comedy (courtesy of George Clooney’s easygoing astronaut) are a welcome reprieve from the almost unrelenting intensity. Sandra Bullock delivers one of the best performances of her career as the rookie astronaut caught up in a seemingly impossible situation, but the real star of “Gravity” is Cuarón himself, and he deserves every bit of praise for creating what can only be described as pure movie magic.

David O. Russell has always been a quality filmmaker, but he’s quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with thanks to movies like “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and this farcical con-artist caper. Loosely based on the ABSCAM scandal of the late ‘70s, “American Hustle” is immensely entertaining, impeccably structured and features top-notch acting from the entire cast. Forty pounds heavier and rocking the most elaborate comb-over you’ve ever seen, Christian Bale gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as the straight man of the bunch. His co-stars aren’t quite as committed physically, but they’re just as good. Amy Adams oozes sexiness as Bale’s cunning partner in crime, scene stealer Jennifer Lawrence is an absolute riot as his unpredictable wife, and Bradley Cooper is hilarious as the short-tempered FBI agent in charge of the sting. The whole film is a lot funnier than you’d expect due to Russell and Eric Singer’s darkly comic script, and though some have argued that it’s too long, the characters are so richly developed and crackling with personality that I would have gladly spent another hour in their messed-up world.

Richard Curtis has written and directed some of the greatest romantic comedies of the past two decades, so it should come as no surprise that his latest movie follows in the same footsteps. Curtis’ films have always been about much more than the superficial meet-cute between boy and girl, and “About Time” is no different, aiming for something a lot deeper and more emotionally rewarding than the typical rom-com. Breakout star Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams have some fantastic chemistry, but it’s the relationship between Gleeson and Bill Nighy (playing the world’s coolest dad) that best serves the story’s central themes and leaves a more lasting impression, especially for anyone who’s ever lost a member of their family. Equally charming, funny and touching, “About Time” is classic Richard Curtis, through and through. And if the rumors about it being his directorial swan song are true, Curtis can take comfort in knowing that he went out on top, because this is not only his most mature and personal work to date, but it’s just a really beautiful film.

It’s been a while since Martin Scorsese’s last truly great film, but the director has rebounded in style with “The Wolf of Wall Street,” highlighted by Terrence Winter’s uproarious script and Leonard DiCaprio’s brilliant turn as Jordan Belfort. You’ve never seen the actor quite like this before, and he’s in top form as the notorious stockbroker with what is arguably his finest performance for Scorsese yet. The rest of the cast is terrific as well, especially Jonah Hill in another award-worthy display, up-and-comer Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey in a short but memorable cameo. Loud, flashy and totally obscene, the movie is like a private tour through Belfort’s excessive, hard-partying lifestyle, including what is easily one of the greatest sequences of the year. (Hint: it involves a highly potent strain of Quaaludes.) Though it’s a little too long for its own good, the characters are so magnetic and the dialogue so fast and funny that “The Wolf of Wall Street” is hard not to enjoy. It’s Scorsese’s best film in years, and one that will only get better with time.

Based on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of an American-flagged cargo ship by Somali pirates, “Captain Phillips” is a gripping hostage thriller that boasts some outstanding performances. Director Paul Greengrass has a knack for dramatizing real-life events (as evidenced in “Bloody Sunday” and the excellent “United 93”), and that success continues here, throwing the audience right into the middle of the action docudrama-style in order to fully capture the intensity of the situation. But while Greengrass excels at creating a sense of claustrophobic tension (especially once the story moves into the lifeboat, where he really ratchets up the suspense), it’s the acting that makes “Captain Phillips” such a pleasure to watch unfold. Newcomer Barkhad Abdi is particularly impressive as the leader of the pirates, while Tom Hanks delivers his strongest performance in over a decade as the title character. The final five minutes alone pack such an emotional wallop that it practically guarantees him another Oscar nomination, and his work throughout is a stark reminder why he’s one of the most revered actors in the business.

Three-hour French movies aren’t normally my cup of tea, but director Abdellatif Kechiche’s superb coming-of-age love story is a rare exception. Though the lesbian drama has been mired in controversy since its Cannes premiere, there’s a good reason why “Blue is the Warmest Color” has won just about every major prize for Best Foreign Language Film. (Sadly, it’s ineligible for the Academy Awards due to a silly technicality.) Sure, the poorly edited time jumps in the latter half are a little confusing, and the sex scenes are more gratuitous than they needed to be, but those minor flaws are forgivable when you have a pair of actors as phenomenal as Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux steering the ship. The former, in particular, is a revelation, delivering such a fearlessly vulnerable and emotionally affecting performance that it’s surprising she hasn’t been a bigger part of the Oscar discussion. Exarchopoulos completely pours herself (snot and all) into the role, and it’s her star-making turn that makes this unflinchingly honest look at the trials and tribulations of love so engrossing.

Though it lacks the “wow” factor to be a serious awards contender, “The Way, Way Back” is still a really enjoyable film thanks to its winning script and talented cast. Youngster Liam James holds his own against some great actors as the perpetually awkward wallflower, while Steve Carell plays against type in a role that proves he may be a stronger dramatic actor than a comedian. However, it’s Sam Rockwell who shines the brightest as the fast-talking king of the water park. Channeling Bill Murray from “Meatballs,” Rockwell’s Owen is the kind of guy that people naturally gravitate towards, and it’s easy to see why on account of the actor’s immensely charming and hilarious performance. Writers/directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who won an Oscar for penning the 2011 tragicomedy “The Descendants”) also deserve a lot of credit for writing a movie that’s as smart, funny and sweet as it is incredibly heartbreaking at times, because although their coming-of-age story follows an all-too-familiar path, they manage to make it feel like an entirely fresh experience.

As far as book sequels go, “Catching Fire” isn’t exactly the most original, which is why I was pleasantly surprised by the film adaptation. Under the assured direction of Francis Lawrence, “Catching Fire” doesn’t just improve upon Suzanne Collins’ novel, but is superior to the first movie in just about every way, including more spirited performances from its two leads and better development for the supporting characters. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Jena Malone – actors you wouldn’t normally associate with a big budget franchise like this – are just a few of the notable additions to the already impressive cast, and there’s not a weak link among them. The script by Oscar-winning screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt is also crucial to the movie’s success, removing a lot of the unnecessary filler while raising the stakes to create a smarter and more focused adaptation that’s extremely well-paced for its 146 minute runtime. “Catching Fire” is everything you could want from a sequel without many of the usual failings, and it’s a prime example of a tentpole film that offers both style and substance.

Leave it to Spike Jonze to create one of the more unique love stories in cinematic history. Set in a near future that feels remarkably authentic (well, except for the high-waisted pants that dominate the fashion), “Her” is a subtle but effective commentary on the role that technology plays in our increasingly anti-social lives; one where we’re more connected to our gadgets than the people around us. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as a man so desperate to connect with someone that he doesn’t care that they’re not real, but none of it would work without Scarlett Johansson. While it’s unlikely that the actress will receive the awards recognition that she deserves, Johansson is the heart of the movie, providing a sweet, soulful and fully rounded vocal performance that makes it seem like she’s actually there. That’s harder said than done, resulting in a relationship that not only feels more real than most of the films this year, but plays a big part in its success as a romantic dramedy and an enchanting piece of science fiction.

Korean director Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut plays like one giant homage to Alfred Hitchcock (particularly his 1943 film “Shadow of a Doubt”), but with a decidedly unique and erotic twist that’s every bit as perverse as his previous work – the kind of movie that gets under your skin and stays there for days. To call the film a slow burn would be putting it lightly, but it’s entirely compelling in the way that it patiently seduces the audience into an almost dreamlike trance. You simply can’t look away, and that’s thanks mostly to the stylish combination of Chung Chung-hoon’s rich cinematography and Nicholas de Toth’s playful editing. Though it would be easy to criticize the movie for favoring style over substance, there’s a lot more going on behind the sumptuous visuals, including some excellent performances by Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman. “Stoker” isn’t for everyone, but fans of Park’s Vengeance Trilogy won’t be disappointed by his latest offbeat, psychosexual thriller.

It is not gross hyperbole to suggest that, box office be damned, the last couple of years have not been Hollywood’s finest. With all due respect to “The Artist” and “Argo,” the previous two Best Picture winners and fine movies, neither of them would have won had they been released in 2010. In fact, “The Artist” wouldn’t have even made my Top 10 list that year, while “Argo” would have slotted slightly ahead of “The King’s Speech” (that year’s Best Picture winner, by the way), which means it would have ranked as the sixth best movie that year. Yes, 2010 was that good, and everything since has been, as far as I’m concerned, a great disappointment.

Enter 2013, and the first time since 2010 that a movie truly excited me, to the point where I wanted to stay and watch it again the second it ended. Then I felt sad because Roger Ebert hadn’t lived long enough to see it. I’m really going to miss him. He was a damned fine writer.

Sadly, I still don’t have enough movies to make a top ten list. This is a combination of two things: missing some daytime screenings (stupid day job), and being rather underwhelmed by some movies with big time buzz, including the one that will likely win Best Picture. That won’t be a travesty along the lines of “Crash” taking the trophy in 2005, but unworthy of the honor just the same.

Only one movie comes even close to this one. I was thrilled when Alfonso Cuaron’s 2006 film “Children of Men” won my local film critics group’s award for Movie of the Year, and what he does here dwarves that in terms of technical achievement, while Sandra Bullock delivers as raw a performance as she’s ever given in her life. Even better, the movie is a mere 91 minutes long. Showing people something they’ve never seen before, while showing respect for the audience’s time: now that is my idea of a modern-day filmmaker.

This is one of those ‘little moments’ movies, where the story is thoroughly engaging, but it’s the little bits that will stick in your head, and each of the leads has one. Bradley Cooper impersonating Louis C.K. towards the end. Christian Bale letting it all hang out at the party while listening to Duke Ellington. Jennifer Lawrence and the “science oven.” (Lawrence actually has two, if you include her lip sync of “Live and Let Die.”) Jeremy Renner explaining all of the different things you can heat in a science oven (all Italian foods). Amy Adams introducing Lady Greensly. “American Hustle” has a gonzo spirit, but it’s a smoke screen to distract you from the fact that at least one of the characters at any point in time is already thinking two moves ahead. Brilliant stuff.

If “American Hustle” is a ‘little moments’ movie, “Her” is the one that will lead people to have book club-type conversations after seeing it. If the idea of someone developing feelings for an operating system seems odd on the surface, it won’t once you see Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) give up people for Samantha (Scarlett Johannson), who satisfies him in ways that real women can’t. Johannson will probably be overlooked by the Academy for the same reasons that motion capture master Andy Serkis has been shunned (only her voice appears in the movie), but she delivers a heartbreaking and utterly believable performance as the zeroes-and-ones Samantha.

Fox Searchlight chose not to push this movie for awards consideration, and I’m disappointed they didn’t give this more support. A sweet coming-of-age story about an awkward teen trying to find himself while stuck at a vacation house with his mom and her overbearing new boyfriend, “The Way, Way Back” does a fantastic job weaving ‘80s-era hallmarks into a modern-day environment, and features great work from a top-notch cast, notably Steve Carell as the jerk boyfriend and Sam Rockwell as the manager of a nearby water park. This is in Redbox right now, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

If a child murdered one of his instructors, would they let him back in school? They might, if the child’s ability as a performer helped make the school a lot of money. That’s the argument that drives “Blackfish,” a documentary about a killer whale named Tilikum who was allowed to continue performing at Sea World parks even after maiming and killing multiple trainers. There is 30-year-old video of Sea World trapping a young Tilikum in the Atlantic Ocean and taking him from his family, who watches helplessly. It is one of the most heartbreaking things you will ever see.

A bit gun shy after Alexander Payne’s last film, the star-studded but emotionally cold “The Descendants,” I approached “Nebraska” with a fair amount of trepidation, and it lasted about five minutes. “Nebraska” is a kissing cousin of “About Schmidt,” in that older, damaged men embark on a road trip in the hopes that they will find what ails them at the end. That they don’t find what they’re looking for is beside the point; it’s the journey that matters, and “Nebraska” is a fun trip through one of the most desolate corridors of the Midwest as one is likely to find. Bonus points to former “SNL” cast member Will Forte for flexing some impressive dramatic acting chops.

Not ‘Critics Top 10’ material, I admit, but I don’t care. Between Kristoff’s “conversations” with his reindeer Sven, the fantastic off-camera gag involving Olaf the talking snowman, the stunning animation, and the unexpected climax, it was great to see Disney try to right some of the wrongs they’ve perpetuated regarding gender roles. It confused the hell out of my 4-year-old daughter, though, but I’m guessing she’ll appreciate it when she’s a little older.

Oscar Bait That Fell Short

You will see these films on 80 percent of the critics’ lists you read this year, but not mine. Make no mistake, I liked these films, but I did not love them. It takes love to make the Top 10.

Great soundtrack – the in-movie recording of the song “Please Mr. Kennedy” is the movie’s finest moment – but there isn’t a lot of meat here. Your mileage may vary, though, depending on how long you can watch someone make bad decision after bad decision. It’s an entertaining film, for sure, but the Coen brothers have done better, and even they know it.

My boy Jason Zingale took some heat for his review of Steve McQueen’s latest film, but I wholeheartedly agree with his take on it. Slavery was a dark, terrible part of our history, and no film to date, not even this one, has explored the depths of the atrocities that took place in that time. (If they did, they’d get an NC-17 rating.) I appreciate what the makers of “12 Years a Slave” were trying to accomplish, which was to make the viewer feel as helpless and hopeless as the people who appear in this movie in chains, and they did just that. The movie’s problem is something that handicaps many stories as they make the jump from book to screen: some books simply do not make for great movies (take, for example, the latest remake of “The Great Gatsby”). We’re supposed to have our hearts broken when Solomon finally starts singing along with the other slaves, but that moment rang hollow to me, like someone trying too hard to tug the heartstrings.

Now here is where I potentially break the internet.

There is another aspect to the critical acclaim of “12 Years a Slave” that bothers me, and it’s this: I think some critics are afraid of speaking ill of this movie out of fear that they will have the perception of being racist. To many, critiquing a movie about slavery is the same as being pro-slavery (it’s not, by the way), and movie critics, generally progressive in nature, are loath to draw that comparison, for obvious reasons. It doesn’t matter if your objections are purely from a story structure standpoint, or perhaps that you saw “Roots” when it made its television premiere, understood at an early age the hell that slaves went through and are therefore less traumatized or horrified than others by the events that take place here. What matters is that you’re a white person saying unflattering things about a movie about slavery, and the trolls go wild.

Slavery sucked. “12 Years a Slave” makes that abundantly clear, but it does so using cliché plot devices and one-note characters to hammer the point home. That doesn’t make me or Jason racist for not loving the film (and again, remember that neither of us said we disliked it, but rather that we didn’t love it) – it just means that we’ve seen thousands of movies between us, and after a while, we recognize patterns. This movie contains several things we’ve seen before, and I don’t give a damn if this one happens to be about slavery: it’s still something I’ve seen before, and I’ve seen it done better. That alone takes it down a notch.

I haven’t finished watching this one yet, but while I am loving the performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, I can already see this one going off the rails. Spite is an ugly emotion.

My Least Favorite Movies of 2013

Because of the aforementioned day job, I value my time a lot more than I did before, so I won’t waste an evening watching “The Love Guru,” which I once did just to make sure my Worst of the Year list was as accurate as possible. Nope, I have two kids now, and therefore a completely different set of priorities. This year’s list is much, much shorter, and you can count it on one, two, three…

Everything about this movie rang false. It’s the story of a very smart guy who has to do something incredibly stupid in order for the rest of the movie to happen. There isn’t a single moment in this movie that feels real, and director Seth Gordon’s unwillingness to tame Melissa McCarthy does not help things one bit.

Bryan Singer is considered one of the big time directors, but let’s be honest for a second: aside from “The Usual Suspects” and “X2: X-Men United,” has Singer done anything else noteworthy? I’d say not, which means it’s been over a decade since Singer’s last good film. Granted, Singer had his work cut out for him here, but that begs the question: what drew him to the material in the first place? There wasn’t a good movie to be had here; you’d think he would know that, right? Also, don’t look now, but he’s just taken back the reins of the “X-Men” franchise. Uh oh.

Grossly overrated, emphasis on the word ‘gross.’ This movie missed the point from the very beginning, going for gore over terror. Yes, it was one of the goriest movies in recent memory, but it wasn’t scary. They call these horror movies, you know, not blood movies – try to make them scary, like “The Conjuring.” That had little to no blood, and was waaaaaay creepier.

David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” opens with a title card that playfully states: “Some of this actually happened.” But considering that the movie was originally titled “American Bullshit” and is populated with characters who are bullshit specialists, it’s meant to be taken with a fairly large grain of salt. Loosely based on the ABSCAM scandal of the late ’70s and early ’80s, Russell has adapted what was an already outlandish story into a ’70s-styled farce filled with a flying circus of conmen, feds, politicians and casino mobsters. Immensely entertaining, impeccably structured and featuring excellent performances from its entire cast, “American Hustle” is one of the year’s absolute best films and a serious contender for every major award.

When we first meet Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), he’s seen carefully assembling his elaborate comb over with a combination of a toupee, glue and lots of hairspray. But what the paunchy conman lacks in good looks, he makes up for with confidence and intellect, which is what’s made him so successful at ripping people off. Everything changes when he meets Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), a former stripper who partners with Irving under the guise of a British businesswoman with royal connections named Lady Edith. Their business practically triples overnight, drawing the attention of ambitious FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), who catches the pair red-handed and forces them to work undercover for the bureau. Richie wants to make a name for himself by taking down some white-collar criminals, and his first target is Camden mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), a family man so desperate to revitalize the New Jersey economy that he’s willing to get his hands a little dirty in the process. It quickly turns into a game of who’s conning who, and yet the one thing that threatens to bring the whole thing crashing down isn’t their mistrust in each other, but Irving’s unpredictable wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence).

That’s a lot of story to wrap your head around, especially in an exposition-heavy first act, but the acting is so great across the board that it never feels overwhelming in any way. Though Christian Bale was given a much meatier role in his first collaboration with Russell (“The Fighter”), the actor plays the straight man here to good effect, and his grounded performance is key to all the craziness that takes place around him. Irving is clearly the smartest guy in the room, but he’s given such little freedom to work his magic that you can almost see the anxiety building up inside him as the con becomes too big, too fast. Bale has never been one to shy away from completely throwing himself into a part, and in addition to gaining 40 pounds to play Irving, he also reportedly herniated two discs due to the slouched posture that he adopted during production.

The other cast members aren’t quite as committed physically, but they’re just as good. Amy Adams oozes sexiness as Irving’s cunning partner in crime, playing a character completely different than what we’re used to seeing from the actress, and Bradley Cooper is hilarious as the short-tempered, motor-mouthed federal agent who becomes obsessed with his latest case. But it’s Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show once again in what is arguably the flashiest role of the bunch. Watching the Oscar winner lip-synch to “Live and Let Die” as she angry cleans her house is worth the price of admission alone. Jeremy Renner also turns in a solid performance with his limited screen time, although he’s not nearly as memorable as the main quartet, and the same goes for Louis C.K.’s passive FBI supervisor, who doesn’t quite stack up to the other talent, but earns some good laughs regardless.

In fact, the movie as a whole is a lot funnier than you might expect, and that’s due not only to Cooper and Lawrence’s larger-than-life performances, but the darkly comic script by Russell and Eric Singer. Though some might argue that the movie is a tad long, the characters are so richly developed and crackling with personality that I would gladly spend another hour in their messed-up world. Russell has always been a quality filmmaker, but he’s quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with – especially with this stable of actors at his disposal – because “American Hustle” is right up there alongside “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook” as a superb piece of American cinema.

Winter has officially arrived, and with it comes the final wave of award contenders hoping to leave an impression on critics and Oscar voters. Though 2013 hasn’t exactly been the best year for movies, there’s plenty of quality on display in December, including the second installment of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy, new films from David O. Russell and the Coen brothers, and the latest collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. And for those looking for lighter fare, there’s also the long-awaited sequel to “Anchorman.”

“OUT OF THE FURNACE”

Who: Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Zoe SaldanaWhat: When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement fails to follow through, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice.When: December 4thWhy: Writer/director Scott Cooper burst onto the scene in 2009 with “Crazy Heart,” netting Jeff Bridges the Oscar for Best Actor in the process, so it’s not surprising to see that he’s managed to land some equally impressive talent for his sophomore effort. Though early word for this one has been pretty mixed, the trailers have me intrigued, particularly with such an amazing ensemble cast, which also includes screen veterans like Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and Sam Shepard. Plus, I’ll watch just about anything starring Christian Bale, because he’s one of this generation’s finest actors with his chameleon-like ability to completely inhabit any role. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t made a dud every now and again, but his résumé speaks for itself, and “Out of the Furnace” looks like another solid addition to an already remarkable career.

“INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS”

Who: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John GoodmanWhat: A week in the life of a young musician as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.When: December 6thWhy: There aren’t many directors that can boast a track record as impressive as the one that Joel and Ethan Coen have enjoyed throughout their 30-year careers, and “Inside Llewyn Davis” is just another notch on that cinematic belt. Markedly different from a lot of their films in that it’s a much more intimate, character-driven piece, “Inside Llewyn Davis” most closely resembles “A Serious Man” in both tone and execution. But although the movie is a fairly bittersweet portrait of personal failure (a running theme in the Coens’ repertoire), it’s not without their trademark wit and humor. The comedy may not be as pronounced as in their other films, but it’s yet another fine period drama that boasts a superb lead performance from Oscar Isaac and one of the best (and most addictive) soundtracks since “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

“THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG”

Who: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage and Orlando BloomWhat: The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug.When: December 13thWhy: It’s a little ironic that the villain of this story is an avaricious reptile, because Warner Bros. could be accused of similar behavior following the decision to split “The Hobbit” into three movies. Of course, fans are hardly complaining about spending more time in Middle-earth, and now that the stage has been set with “An Unexpected Journey,” the second installment promises to be even better. Along with introducing important characters like Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), The Necromancer and Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch pulling double duty), the movie also marks the return of fan favorite Legolas and newly created female elf Tauriel, neither of whom actually appear in Tolkien’s novel. It wouldn’t be the first time that Peter Jackson has tinkered with the source material, but he hasn’t let us down yet, and that’s more than enough reason to get excited about Part Two.